Forest Aesthetics Research Articles

Forest Aesthetics as a Basic Idea for Forest Management from the Perspectives of Light Quality, Ecosystems, and Sustainability in Japan

Forest Aesthetics as a Basic Idea for Forest Management from the Perspectives of Light Quality, Ecosystems, and Sustainability in Japan

How Vegetation Colorization Design Affects Urban Forest Aesthetic Preference and Visual Attention: An Eye-Tracking Study

The enhancement of the urban forest landscape through vegetation colorization has emerged as a continuous concern for urban managers in southern Chinese cities. However, the understanding of how designers can effectively select the appropriate form and intensity of colorization design to align with users’ aesthetic preferences remains limited. The process of visual perception is closely intertwined with eye movements. Employing visualization techniques, this research aims to investigate the impact of colorization design on aesthetic benefits and eye movements in urban forests, considering four intensities (slight, low, medium, and high) and three forms (aggregate, homogeneous, and random). A total of 183 participants (with an average age of 23.5 ± 2.5 years) were randomly assigned to three groups to assess the aesthetics score, while eye-tracking devices were utilized to record eye movement behaviors. The outcomes indicate that a homogeneous design form and a moderate intensity of landscaping yield higher scenic benefits for urban forests. In the case of canopy landscape, both the form and intensity of landscaping have a significant influence on urban forest aesthetics. The HCI with aggregate form showed the best marginal effect (1.313). In contrast, MCI showed the best marginal effect when the design form was random and homogeneous (1.438, 1.308). Furthermore, although the form and intensity of the colorization design significantly affect eye exploration, the perception of landscape aesthetics does not correlate with eye movements. These findings provide valuable insights for design policies aimed at promoting the urban forest landscape, while also contributing to the enrichment of research in landscape perception studies employing eye-tracking technology.

Aesthetic Quality Assessment of Landscapes as a Model for Urban Forest Areas: A Systematic Literature Review

Aesthetic experience in a forest can typically be associated with attractive forest scenery that gives people a sense of visual pleasure. Characterized as a visual product based on people’s reactions towards various combinations of landscape settings, features, and objects, this type of natural visual pleasure may benefit people’s well-being, promotes natural and cultural heritage preservation, and encourages the growth of the eco-tourism industry. While most research on forest aesthetics focuses on non-urban settings, this study examines aesthetics in the context of urban forests. This study aims to systematically review landscape aesthetic assessment studies to propose a model for urban forests. We conducted a systematic review of research articles published from 2014 to 2020 by using three research journal databases, Science Direct, Scopus, and MDPI. In total, 55 research articles were identified and qualified for review based on the screening requirements. An additional 26 research articles were also included by using the snowball method to provide better understanding and outcomes for the study. The results were organized into these categories: definitions, benefits, philosophies, approaches, and variables for the aesthetic quality assessment in urban forest areas. In addition, we also found that aesthetic quality in urban forests is highly influenced by visual composition, visual sense, and visual conditions, which have also been proven to be important parts of forest functions and values that could contribute towards the preservation of urban green spaces.

The Relatedness of Community Perception with The Actions in Forest Pest Management

Pest attack on the forest can have an impact on the productivity and quality of existing stands (such as reducing average plant growth, decreasing seed germination power, and appearance of forest aesthetics). This study aims to identify the types of pest management and analyze the relationship between perception and community actions in the community forest in Karyasari Village, Leuwiliang District, Bogor Regency. Data collection is done by semi-structured interview, observation and recording of secondary data. The type of pest management carried out by the community uses three pest management techniques, including chemical, mechanical and a mixture of chemical and mechanical. Farmers do not use biological techniques. Mechanical pest management is less used in society compared to chemical management. Many farmers use chemical management techniques with pesticides because they kill pests quickly. In addition, some small farmers use a mixture of chemical and mechanical management. There is a relationship of perception with the characteristics of respondents, such as land area, education and role in society. There is a relationship of action with the characteristics of respondents, such as the role in society, land area, education and employment.

Landscape characteristics and social factors influencing attitudes toward roadside vegetation management

For the roadside forest, utility vegetation management is a driver of landscape change involving tradeoffs between reliable electric power and preservation of trees. However, little is known about public perceptions of vegetation management in the landscape context. Our objective was to evaluate social and residential context characteristics associated with resident attitudes toward roadside utility vegetation management across Connecticut. We used a mail survey to collect social science data from residents in two study areas in Connecticut. We measured landscape characteristics associated with tree cover and development density at multiple scales around each respondent household. Random forest predictive models were used to assess attitudes toward vegetation management as explained by social and residential context variables. Respondents generally had positive attitudes toward vegetation management, agreeing that it improves public safety and minimizes power outages. Social variables revealed that residents were more likely to have favorable attitudes if they had greater knowledge about trees, believed that trees should be used for human benefits, prioritized reduced power outages over forest aesthetics, and considered changes in the roadside forest to be acceptable. Residential context variables were not as strongly associated with attitudes as social variables, but did rank as important for two out of three attitudes variables. Attitudes toward vegetation management may be influenced by residential context, yet likely are formed independently of it. Spatial heterogeneity of exurban land use and social characteristics suggest encompassing variability in approaches to roadside forest management policy.

A consideration of forest aesthetics on landscape conservation in a declining birch stand in the somma of Lake Mashu

A consideration of forest aesthetics on landscape conservation in a declining birch stand in the somma of Lake Mashu

湊克之・小池孝良・芝正己・仁多見俊夫・山田容三・佐藤冬樹編『森への働きかけ-森林美学の新体系構築に向けて-』（書評）

湊克之・小池孝良・芝正己・仁多見俊夫・山田容三・佐藤冬樹編『森への働きかけ-森林美学の新体系構築に向けて-』（書評）

Management urbaner Wälder zwischen Ansprüchen der Gesellschaft und Besitzerzielen

Management of urban woodlands between demands of society and owner objectives Urban woodlands provide numerous ecosystem services for the society. However, they depend on the management goals, motivations and interests of the forest owners. In the Munich Metropolitan Region, it was examined how the population perceive the woodlands and which services of the woodlands are most important for them. On the other hand management goals, interests and motivation of forest owners were assessed by interviewing representatives of state, communal and private forest owners in urban area. It turned out that both population and forest owners had quite similar ideas about the services urban woodlands should deliver. For many forest owners, timber production was of little importance. The main objective was creating and maintaining stable and ecologically valuable mixed stands. In the everyday perception of the population, there is a deep fear of losing woodlands for urban development. Forest management actions are often associated with a general loss of forest. To avoid conflicts, communication and information should be improved. To provide attractive forest consultancy for urban woodland owners, forest authorities and forest associations should include topics such as forest aesthetics, nature conservation, pest control, legal duty to maintain safety, recreation and visitor management.

The influence of Forest Aesthetics on the Inner Garden Project of Meiji Shrine

The influence of Forest Aesthetics on the Inner Garden Project of Meiji Shrine

Opinions on strategies for forest adaptation to future climate conditions in western Canada: surveys of the general public and leaders of forest-dependent communities

Two province-wide surveys of residents in Alberta and British Columbia were conducted to assess the acceptability of a range of reforestation strategies — many of which revolve around biotechnology — that could be used to aid western Canada’s forests in adapting to future climate change. The opinions of leaders of forest-dependent communities were also sought to evaluate how well they align with those of the public at large. Results show that the views of the general public and community leaders correspond. There is a low acceptance for a “do-nothing” strategy that allows climate change to run its course without any human intervention; high acceptance of replanting with local seeds; a decreasing acceptance of strategies that involve more manipulation such as breeding, using nonlocal seeds, and moving seeds outside of a species’ natural range; and a low acceptance of genetically engineered solutions. However, a high proportion of respondents changed their answers when told that a particular strategy would lead to either favourable or unfavourable outcomes related to socioeconomics of forest-dependent communities, forest aesthetics, and pest, disease, and fire outbreaks. We conclude that a meaningful and participatory dialogue on forest adaptation strategies in the face of climate change can only emerge if residents and other interested stakeholders have an adequate understanding of current forest management practices, proposed reforestation strategies, the role of technological interventions, and the values and services for which western Canada’s forests are to be managed.

The impact of biofuels on the propensity of land-use conversion among non-industrial private forest landowners in Florida

A hypothetical market for renting and converting forested land into row cropping for biofuel production revealed that nearly half of the 1060 non-industrial landowners sampled in Florida are willing to accept payments for land type conversion and the resulting supply function is inelastic and positive. While respondent's previous involvement with forest management cost-share program increased their probability of accepting payments for forest type conversion, those who indicated forest aesthetics as the primary reason for the land ownership were less likely to participate in this hypothetical market.

The Effects of Viewer Attributes on Preference for Forest Scenes: Contributions of Attitudes, Knowledge, Demographic Factors, and Stakeholder Group Membership

Although the primary focus on forest aesthetics research has been on identifying the relationships between landscape attributes and preference or scenic beauty, some studies have explored the relationships between viewer attributes and preference. Specifically, viewer responses to forested landscapes have been shown to vary by stakeholder group membership, demographic factors, knowledge, and attitudes. Most of these studies, however, have explored these viewer attributes in isolation. This study begins to look at the relative contributions of viewer attributes to forest preference across a range of forest scenes. The study specifically assessed the relationships between preference and: demographic factors, attitudes toward forest management, general forest management knowledge, and stakeholder group membership. Results show that attitudes toward forest management, and in particular whether or not one endorses a commodity/utilitarian perspective on forest management, had the strongest relationship with preference for forest scenes. The extent to which participants endorsed an ecosystem/amenities perspective on forest management, on the other hand, was not related to preference. Stakeholder group membership itself was not related to preference, after accounting for attitudes. Contrary to expectation, there was no significant relationship between knowledge about forest management and preference for forest scenes.

戦前における「森林美学」から「風致施業」への展開

Because Landscape management includes a variety of methods for beautifying forests, a clear definition of Landscape management is difficult. Nonetheless, this study aims to define Landscape management clearly. Therefore, we examined the development process known as Forest aesthetics, the origin of landscape management, from its introduction in the middle of the Meiji period until the early Showa period based on related documentation. As a result, we were able to classify the development of Forest aesthetics into three categories. The first of these is Landscape management in Arashiyama, an old location whose existence predates the Meiji period. The second is the establishment and development of a study system for Forest aesthetics, while the third category is the transition to preserving forests and creating scenic forests in national parks chosen for their new outlook on scenery.

Exploring forest aesthetics using forestry photo contests: case studies examining Japanese and German public preferences

Abstract In sustainable forest management (SFM), forestry organizations are required to communicate to the public effectively to broaden the general understanding of their efforts in maintaining multiple forest service functions. Thus, there is a renewed interest in the scientific study of the perception and representation of forests. Forestry photo contests provide valuable resources to deepen the knowledge about ‘images’ that are shared in a larger public and obviously appealing to imaginations from the perspective of laypeople. The paper aims at identifying such ‘icons’ through a new methodology that involved examining group discussion dynamics based on using two sets of prize-winning pictures. The pictures were from Japanese and German photo contests with the common theme of ‘forest/trees.’ Data were collected with different sets of forest pictures in both cultures. Interviewees were asked to categorize the pictures into clusters through group discussions with a high degree of freedom. The results show rather stable sets of pairs and clusters of certain pictures. What is being included in the prize-winning photos differed largely between Japan and Germany, indicating separate discursive practices of forestry organizations in the two cultures. In addition to these representational differences in ‘icons’, perception of German and Japanese groups differed in certain themes.

Visual aesthetic quality of Northern Ontario's forested shorelines.

Only a few empirical studies on forest aesthetics have adopted a water-based perspective for observers and have investigated the perceived visual quality of forested shorelines. In forested environments with many lakes, such as the boreal forest in the Canadian Shield, individuals have greater exposure to forests from water-based rather than in-stand vantage points. This study employed the psychophysical research direction to explore the relationships between scenic beauty and biophysical characteristics of the forested shorelines in the boreal forests. Two model forms were tested. One model related the variation of shoreline forest aesthetic evaluations of near-vista views (140 m offshore) to a set of forest mensuration data. Tree size, tree mortality, conifer shrubs, tree density, amount of hardwood, and slope explained 60.2% of the variance in scenic beauty between the study sites. A second model was calibrated to test the relationship between an already existing ecosystem vegetation classification system and the aesthetic evaluations of the same forested shorelines. When the ecosystem classification was simplified to eight groups, the model explained 48.5% of variance. These models suggest that the psychophysical approach to studying aesthetics can be applied successfully to near-vista evaluations of scenic beauty. The finding that a forest ecosystem classification system is highly related to scenic beauty suggests that, at least in the boreal forest, managers can reasonably estimate the scenic beauty of forested shoreline environments from an ecosystem classification, with little need for intensive data on these sites.

Scenic Vistas and the Changing Policy Landscape: Visualizing and Testing the Role of Visual Resources in Ecosystem Management

The Northwest Forest Plan applies a shift in policy to national forests in the Pacific Northwest, with implications for other public landscapes. This shift offers potentially strong scenic implications for areas that have historically emphasized clearcutting with little visual impact mitigation. These areas will now emphasize biocentric concerns and harvests formed accordingly. Public perceptions of a simulation of this landscape transformation indicate that it offers to improve the beauty of large vistas. Changes in small vistas and harvests nearer to viewers will still require visual management. Implications for policy stability and the management of forest aesthetics are discussed.

What Are We Hiding Behind the Visual Buffer Strip? Forest Aesthetics Reconsidered

Abstract Forest aesthetics provide the public façade for forestry ethics. Current policies send a hypocritical message of citizens about the practice, intent and ethics of forestry by suggesting that foresters need to disguise the practice of forestry. Such policies imply, to an increasingly wary public, that forestry is bad for the land and that foresters cannot be trusted. We hope that the profession will discuss and negotiate an aesthetics policy that is consonant with--or part of--its Code of Ethics. We review the implications for forestry of competing aesthetic policies, and conclude that forestry should embrace an aesthetic ideal that is analogous to a gardener's work of tending a garden.

The aesthetics of white pine and red pine forests

Aesthetic values of the forest in northeastern Ontario were determined with the Scenic Beauty Estimation Method, which relates psychometric analysis with quantitative forest stand characteristics. Results indicate high agreement for scenic beauty between environmental groups and other public groups, but less agreement between either of these and resource managers. In predominently coniferous forests, hardwoods (especially aspen) contribute to scenic beauty, and respondents prefer mature open stands over younger and denser ones. Linking people's aesthetic evaluations to physical stand characteristics may provide valuable insights for forest management purposes. Key words: Forest aesthetics, user preferences, white pine, red pine, scenic beauty

Managing Northern Hardwoods by Clearcutting 30 m wide strips: 10-year results

Strip clearcutting with or without thinning in the interstrips is a workable silviculture option for management of northern hardwoods in even-aged stands. It is a technique that can be applied to achieve most management objectives by varying strip width. interstrip number, clearcutting intervals, and site preparation. Our experience revealed that 30 m wide clearcut strips where good advance regeneration is preserved combined with a 30% thinning in the four interstrips to be clearcut at 20-year intervals will provide: 1) an adequate stocking and growth of a desirable species mix, 2) the potential for development of quality boles because northern hardwoods are mainly managed for saw- and veneer-log production, and 3) advantages in wildlife habitat, watershed management/erosion control, and forest aesthetics. Key words: Strip clearcutting, thinning, northern hardwood, management clearcutting.